Sunapee Harbor, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sunapee Harbor lies in Sullivan County, in New Hampshire. The water sits 1,099 feet up. This is big water, about 6.1 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The bank runs about 28 miles in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Of the waters listed here in Sullivan County, this is the largest. Sunapee sits 0.9 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Manchester, 42 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Sunapee Harbor

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Salt and fresh mix here, and the mixing line is worth finding. Records held for Sullivan County cover rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, Arctic charr, largemouth bass and rainbow smelt. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Sunapee Harbor the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 18°F to 68°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Sunapee Harbor.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Being dammed, it draws down in some seasons and fills in others. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Perkins Pond sits 2.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Sunapee Harbor are worth checking on the day.